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Yankees, Padres Interested In Blake Snell

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The Yankees and Padres are two of the teams expressing interest in left-hander Blake Snell, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes (links to X).  Reports surfaced earlier this week that Snell was drawing interest from pitching-needy contenders, and New York and San Diego are the first clubs specifically known to gotten in touch with the Giants over Snell’s availability.

It remains to be seen if the Giants will actually move Snell, or be deadline sellers in any real capacity given that the team is still just 4.5 games out of a wild card berth.  Snell is himself a major factor in San Francisco’s renewed hopes of contention, as the southpaw has been almost untouchable since returning from the injured list.  Over his last four starts, Snell has a 0.75 ERA and a 35.7% strikeout rate, highlighted by a 15-strikeout gem of an outing against the Rockies yesterday.

This is the type of rotation-carrying production was what the Giants were hoping to receive when they signed the reigning Cy Young Award winner to a two-year, $62MM deal back in March.  However, Snell’s lengthy stint in free agency and subsequent lack of proper Spring Training work wreaked havoc on his performance, resulting in two IL stints (with an adductor strain and a groin strain) and a 9.51 ERA over his first six starts in a Giants uniform.

This recent injury history will obviously weigh on the minds of any team that does approach the Giants about a Snell trade, not to mention the fact that Snell can opt out of the second year (and $30MM salary) of his contract.  The presence of this opt-out clause means that Snell isn’t exactly a rental player, thus creating extra financial risk for an acquiring team, and some difficulty in working out an acceptable trade package with San Francisco.  Snell’s recent form increases the chances that he might exercise his player option, but if any more injury issues arise, Snell could pass on his opt-out and remain on the books for that hefty $30MM payday next year.

Snell is naturally a known quantity to the Padres after pitching with San Diego from 2021-23, but the financial aspect of a Snell trade is particularly noteworthy for a Padres team that is trying to remain under the luxury tax threshold this season, in order to reset its penalty status after two years of overages.  San Diego’s acquisition of Jason Adam from the Rays earlier today resulted in a pretty minor financial hit, though the Padres had to give up a hefty prospect package to obtain the reliever.  Payroll aside, there is also the broader fact that it seems rather unlikely that the Giants would trade Snell to a division rival.

The Bronx Bombers have long had Snell on their radar, and the six-year, $150MM offer Snell reportedly received from the Yankees in January is the highest contract known to be on the table for the left-hander during his elongated free agent market.  As Heyman notes, the luxury tax is also a factor given that New York has already topped the upper tier ($297MM) of tax penalties.  RosterResource estimates that the Yankees’ Competitive Balance Tax number is just shy of $312.9MM, and thus they would face a 110% tax on any further salaries added to their ledger.

Padres Notes: Taillon, Catching, DeVries

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Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon has reportedly drawn interest from several teams as the trade deadline approaches, and it appears as though the Padres can be added to that list.  The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, Ken Rosenthal, and Patrick Mooney write that the Friars “have Taillon on their radar,” as starting pitching remains a need in San Diego.

Joe Musgrove might be on the verge of starting a minor league rehab assignment this coming week, but he’ll need multiple ramp-up starts since he hasn’t pitched since May 26.  Yu Darvish’s last MLB game was on May 29 and his last minor league rehab game was on June 19, and his return date remains uncertain given how the veteran is still on the Padres’ restricted list dealing with a personal family issue.

San Diego’s rotation has still posted solid numbers even without these two frontline pitchers, with the trio of Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Matt Waldron leading the way.  Bolstering that group with a veteran like Taillon, however, would allow the Padres to bump the struggling Adam Mazur out of the starting mix.  Should the Padres get Musgrove, Darvish, and a new addition joining up with Cease, King, and Waldron, they could perhaps adopt a six-man rotation to keep everyone fresh for the playoff drive, or this semi-surplus could resolve itself should other injuries emerge.

Taillon is far more than just a rental player, as he isn’t yet halfway through the four-year, $68MM contract he signed with Chicago during the 2022-23 offseason.  Taillon receives $18MM in each season of the deal, so he has roughly $43MM remaining in owed salary — a number that won’t appeal to a Padres club that is trying to reset its Competitive Balance Tax status.  After paying the tax in each of the previous three seasons, staying under the CBT line was a known goal for the Padres this season, and the team is projected (as per RosterResource) for a current tax number of roughly $224.8MM.

While this gives San Diego some wiggle room under the $237MM tax threshold, acquiring Taillon would alone absorb the rest of that CBT space, to say nothing or any other additions the Padres might might before the deadline.  The Padres could look to sweeten the prospect return in order to get the Cubs to cover a larger chunk of Taillon’s remaining salary, or perhaps some kind of larger multi-player deal could be arranged involving a notable contract heading from San Diego to Chicago to help offset the Taillon contract.  A.J. Preller and Jed Hoyer are no strangers to creative trades, and it is perhaps worth noting that the two clubs have been linked up on multiple trades over the last eight years — most notably the blockbuster that sent Darvish to San Diego during the 2020-21 offseason.

Speculatively speaking, it might be more likely that the Padres view Taillon as something of a backup plan, as one would imagine the Friars would first explore less-expensive options before considering adding another long-term pitching contract into the organization.  A possible trade might also be a moot point if Taillon happens to have San Diego as one of the 10 teams on his no-trade list, as his contract contains some partial protection against a deal.

Winners of their last six games, the streaking Padres have moved into a wild card position, and are only percentage points behind the Mets for the top NL wild card spot.  Since San Diego is only 6.5 games behind the Dodgers, the NL West title isn’t yet out of the question, but in any regard, the Padres are heating up at just the right time.  Preller figures to be aggressive in buying at the deadline to fully cement his team as a contender after missing the playoffs in 2023, even if upgrading while staying under the CBT line presents an interesting secondary challenge.

Beyond pitching, the Padres might also need help behind the plate, as the New York’s Post Jon Heyman writes that catching could be a target area.  Luis Campusano and Kyle Higashioka have handled the catching duties this season, with Campusano hitting .237/.280/.375 with six home runs over 239 plate appearances and Higashioka showing unexpected pop in hitting .226/.269/.540 with 12 homers in 145 PA.

That translates to a 127 wRC+ for Higashioka and an 89 wRC+ for Campusano, who has also posted subpar defensive metrics.  Former top prospect Campusano was seemingly starting to break out in 2023, but this season’s tough results could at least result in the loss of more playing time, if the Padres opt for the hotter hand in Higashioka.  Adding a new catcher would shake things up entirely, and Campusano could potentially see himself sent to Triple-A in that scenario since he still has a minor league option remaining.

Since Ethan Salas is one of baseball’s top prospects, the Padres already have a “catcher of the future” in the wings for a couple of seasons down the road, giving them some leverage to eventually move on from Campusano if he can’t get back on track.  Of course, there is danger in shuffling the catching position at midseason, and some teams shy away from deadline catching trades since it can be difficult on a catcher to join a new team and learn a new pitching staff’s tendencies on the fly.

Speaking of prospects, it remains to be seen how willing the Padres are to trade significantly from a minor league pipeline that has already been heavily mined for trades in recent years.  The Athletic’s Dennis Lin opines that shortstop prospect Leodalis De Vries might not be entirely untouchable in trade talks but is at least close to such status, as “the Padres will not consider moving him for anything less than controllable, star-level talent.”

The 17-year-old De Vries was an international signing just this past January, inked to a hefty $4.2MM bonus.  De Vries has already started to deliver on his potential by hitting .242/.362/.450 with nine homers and 11 steals (in 12 attempts) over his first 276 professional plate appearances, all at the A-level.  Xander Bogaerts told Lin that he was very impressed by De Vries’ talent and maturity when the two were briefly teammates during Bogaerts’ minor league rehab assignment this season, further enhancing De Vries’ status as a possible future cornerstone in the Padres’ lineup.  It is fair to assume plenty of other teams have taken notice and asked about De Vries in trade talks, giving Preller another big chip to possibly consider dangling for the right return by July 30.

Padres Select Tirso Ornelas

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The Padres have selected outfielder Tirso Ornelas to their 40-man roster, MLBTR has confirmed. The move was previously listed on the club’s transactions tracker at MLB.com. The Padres have had an open spot on their 40-man roster since Yu Darvish was placed on the restricted list earlier this month, so no corresponding move will be required at this time.

Ornelas, 24, was an international signing out of Mexico, with the Padres giving him a $1.5MM signing bonus back in 2016. He put up a strong showing in Rookie ball in 2017, hitting .276/.399/.408 and getting himself some attention from prospect evaluators.

Baseball America listed him as the #31 prospect in the club’s system going into 2018 and he was on that outlet’s top 30 list for three years after that. FanGraphs ranked him as the #116 prospect in all of baseball going into 2019, highlighting his natural abilities at the plate.

Ornelas had a dismal year in 2019, slashing .217/.303/.279 across Rookie ball and High-A. Going into 2020, Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs mentioned some swing changes that had negative results, but he still gave Ornelas praise and ranked him 19th in the system.

More recently, Ornelas seems to have gotten things back on track. After the minors were canceled in 2020, Ornelas put up some passable numbers in 2021 and 2022. Last year, he had a great showing in Double-A, with 11 home runs in 72 games. He also walked at a 14.1% clip and was only struck out in 18.9% of his plate appearances. His .284/.381/.473 line at that level translated to a wRC+ of 126.

He also got into 55 Triple-A games last year with less success, as his .285/.358/.425 line at that level led to a 96 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. But he’s been far better at that level here in 2024, with 12 home runs through 74 contests, a 10.3% walk rate and 17.1% strikeout rate. His .316/.390/.515 batting line is 24% better than league average, per wRC+.

It hasn’t been a straight line but Ornelas has found a winding road to the majors since being signed by the Padres almost a decade ago. Just a few days back, Longenhagen and Travis Ice released their list of top Padres’ prospects for this year at FanGraphs with Ornelas in the #12 slot. The report suggests the Statcast data isn’t as impressive as the raw numbers with Ornelas, but still he’s still viewed as a viable big leaguer.

Ornelas has played a bit of center field and first base but has mostly been in the outfield corners in his career. The Padres have Fernando Tatis Jr. on the injured list due to a right femoral stress reaction. Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune on X, Tatis has begun playing catch and swinging a bat but he still has some hurdles to clear before he can rejoin the club.

Without Tatis, the Friars have a corner outfield mix consisting of Jurickson Profar, David Peralta and Bryce Johnson. Profar is having a stunning career year at the age of 31 and is firmly implanted in left field. Peralta was just below league average at the plate over the 2021-23 period and is hitting .250/.313/.330 in 2024 for a wRC+ of 90. Johnson has mostly been in a bench role, with just one start since July 2.

Perhaps Ornelas can carve out some playing time in there during the final few months of 2024 or in the long term. Peralta and Profar are both impending free agents, so there’s lots of room next to Tatis and Jackson Merrill in the future outfield plans.

Padres Notes: Arraez, Tatis, Musgrove

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The Padres completed their first half with a 6-3 loss to the Braves, and San Diego enters the All-Star break with a 50-49 record and a +12 run differential.  While the National League wild card race is still very crowded, the Padres are a game out of a playoff spot and still in good position to make a run in the second half, though they’ll need good health and continued production from their star players to make it happen.

With this in mind, Luis Arraez told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) today that he won’t be playing in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.  Arraez was named to the NL’s bench squad and will still attend the festivities in Arlington since his parents and sister will be in attendance at the Midsummer Classic for the first time, but the infielder won’t be taking the field because “I need the rest” for his injured left thumb.

Arraez jammed his thumb while sliding into third base during the Padres’ 9-7 win over the Nationals on June 25, and has since been trying to play through some serious discomfort whenever he fields the ball or takes a swing.  Scans haven’t revealed any structural damage to the thumb, but Arraez recently told Acee and company that he has been wrapping the base of his thumb for every game.

“I don’t feel 100 percent.  But every time I touch the line, I want to give 100 percent to the manager and to my teammates,” Arraez said.

It is a testament to Arraez’s toughness and ability that he has still continued to hit even while playing through this pain, even if his power has been even more limited by his thumb injury.  Arraez is batting .309/.321/.346 over 56 plate appearances in the 13 games he has played since hurting his thumb, yet only two of his 17 hits have been for extra bases (both doubles).  Though Arraez is known for his contact hitting moreso than his power, that .346 slugging percentage is well below the .427 career mark he posted in his first five MLB seasons with the Twins and Marlins.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is also hoping to take a step towards getting back onto the field when he undergoes an MRI during the All-Star break.  Tatis was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 22 due to a right femoral stress reaction, and told The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and other reporters on Friday that he was no longer feeling any pain in his right leg.  This is good news considering the uncertain nature of the injury, though while Tatis said he will “definitely” play again in 2024, he didn’t have any other updates on when exactly he might be able to return.

The fact that the injury was potentially seen as season-ending is certainly a concern, and itself perhaps a sign that Tatis isn’t out of the woods of being on a path to full fitness.  The upcoming MRI will potentially shed some light on a recovery timetable, and for now, Tatis’ baseball-related activity has been limited to only dry swings.

Moving from lineup injuries to rotation injuries, Joe Musgrove is slated for a full bullpen session on Wednesday.  Musgrove is eligible to return from the 60-day IL when his minimum absence time is up in late July, but his return from bone spurs in his right elbow will surely be delayed into August since the righty is only just in the early stages of his throwing progression.  As per Acee, Musgrove will limit himself to throwing only fastballs in his first couple of bullpen sessions.

Between this IL stint and another visit to the 10-day IL due to triceps tendinitis at the beginning of the season, Musgrove has thrown only 49 1/3 innings in 2024, and struggled to a 5.66 ERA.  This marks the second straight injury-marred year for Musgrove, as a broken toe and shoulder inflammation limited him to 97 1/3 innings in 2023, though he was more effective when he did pitch, delivering a 3.05 ERA.

Latest On Garrett Crochet’s Trade Market

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The White Sox’s reported desire to deal dominant youngster Garrett Crochet this summer has made the southpaw one of the most intriguing players to watch in the days leading up to the trade deadline on July 30, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale noted this morning that Chicago still intends to deal the lefty this summer even as rival GMs express uncertainty regarding whether or not a deal will come together. Nightengale goes on to note that while the Padres made a “recent” offer to the South Siders for Crochet, White Sox brass “quickly dismissed” the proposal.

This isn’t the first report to suggesting that the White Sox have been dismissive of offers from rival clubs, as reporting earlier this month suggested the Dodgers have also put forth an offer that was ultimately rejected. Still, it’s somewhat notable that San Diego’s offer for the lefty’s services was turned down given the fact that the Padres were reportedly the “most aggressive” team in their pursuit of the lefty’s services as recently as last month. It’s certainly possible that other clubs have become more aggressive in their pursuits of Crochet since then, but the news is nonetheless the latest signal that the price for the youngster’s services will be steep.

An exorbitant asking price is somewhat understandable given Crochet’s unique combination of youth, dominance, and team control. The 25-year-old has pitched to a 3.02 ERA in 107 1/3 innings of work this year with even stronger peripheral numbers, as he leads the majors with a whopping 150 strikeouts. That’s good for a 35.2% strikeout rate, and Crochet complements that heavy dose of K’s with a microscopic 5.4% walk rate and a strong 45.7% groundball rate. A starting pitcher with that sort of elite talent is extremely hard to come by in any case, much less at an age when some pitchers have yet to even establish themselves at the majors and with team control that runs through the end of the 2026 season.

While there’s been questions about whether or not Crochet will be able to remain in the rotation down the stretch after already more than doubling his total number of innings as a professional in the first half, the lefty would surely be a valuable asset even in a bullpen role for the second half this year before returning to the rotation in 2025. Given that, it’s hardly a surprise that Crochet is reportedly receiving widespread interest from clubs around the league. That should allow the White Sox to set the asking price on his services quite high, particularly given the fact that they could try to deal him again this winter if talks end up stalling out.

One clue as to where the Sox may set the bar regarding Crochet is that Nightengale suggests Chicago is “insisting” on Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones as part of the return for the lefty’s services in negotiations with New York. Jones, the Yankees’ first round pick in the 2022 draft, was a frequently discussed prospect this winter as the club resisted requests for him to be included in deals with various trade partners throughout the winter. He entered the season as a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport, with some services even ranking him in the top 30 or higher. A slow start to the season at Double-A saw most outlets settle on placing Jones in the top-75 range earlier this year, though he’s heated up in recent weeks and may have seen his prospect stock start to rebound a bit. Either way, reporting last week indicated that the Yankees remain unwilling to part with Jones, suggesting that a deal between New York and Chicago is unlikely unless one side or the other folds regarding the hulking outfield prospect.

Padres Activate Xander Bogaerts

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The Padres reinstated Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list for tonight’s series opener against the Braves. San Diego also recalled Sean Reynolds for his MLB debut, a move that was first reported this afternoon. In corresponding moves, the Padres placed reliever Wandy Peralta on the 15-day IL (retroactive to July 10) with an adductor strain and optioned catcher Brett Sullivan.

Getting Bogaerts back is the most notable of tonight’s slate of moves. He has been out since late May after breaking his left shoulder. There was initially some thought that the four-time All-Star could be out of action into August. He made a fairly quick recovery, getting back to the big leagues in around seven weeks. Bogaerts made two rehab appearances in Low-A and appeared in four contests with Triple-A El Paso.

Skipper Mike Shildt penciled Bogaerts back in at second base and in the fifth spot in the batting order. The Padres will hope for much better production than he managed over the first six weeks of the season. Bogaerts was out to a .219/.265/.316 start in an even 200 plate appearances. That’d easily be the worst year of his career if he kept on that pace, but he’s only a year removed from a robust .285/.350/.440 showing.

After the Bogaerts injury, Jake Cronenworth slid over to second base. He’s back at first base tonight and figures to spend most of his time there moving forward. That’ll bump Luis Arraez back to designated hitter on most nights and chip into the playing time available to Donovan Solano. That’s not any reflection on his performance. Since the Friars selected Solano’s minor league deal on May 5, he’s hitting .286/.345/.398 through 177 plate appearances. The Colombia native has been an average or better hitter on a rate basis over the past six seasons with the Giants, Reds, Twins and Padres.

As for Peralta, he’ll miss at least the next couple weeks. The recipient of a surprising four-year guarantee last offseason, he owns a 4.50 ERA over 41 appearances. Peralta has a customarily strong 53.2% grounder percentage but has run into trouble when opponents managed to elevate the ball. He’s giving up home runs at a lofty 1.59 clip per nine innings.

Padres To Promote Sean Reynolds

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The Padres are going to promote right-hander Sean Reynolds, reports Craig Mish of the Miami Herald on X. The righty will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He’s already on San Diego’s 40-man roster but the club will need to open an active roster spot.

Reynolds, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Marlins back in 2016. He was drafted as a hitter but never did much hitting. In over 1,000 minor league plate appearances, he struck out at a 43.8% clip and slashed .178/.287/.344, never getting higher than Single-A.

He moved to the mound in 2021 and has been having more success in that role. He tossed 84 1/3 innings on the farm over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.74 earned run average and 27.7% strikeout rate. The 12.6% walk rate was a bit high but understandable for a guy fairly new to pitching.

The Marlins were intrigued enough to add him to their 40-man roster at the end of 2022, keeping Reynolds out of that year’s Rule 5 draft. He tossed another 48 2/3 innings in Miami’s farm system last year, between Double-A and Triple-A. In that time, he had a 2.77 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. He was also briefly promoted to the majors but didn’t get into a game.

The Padres were impressed enough to acquire Reynolds alongside Garrett Cooper in the trade that sent Ryan Weathers to the Marlins. Reynolds struggled with the move, allowing 24 earned runs in 16 innings after the deal last year.

He’s been in better form this year, though with the underlying numbers being more impressive than the surface ones. He has tossed 45 1/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 6.55 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate and 14.6% walk rate. His .365 batting average on balls in play and 57.2% strand rate are both on the unlucky side, so perhaps his 4.62 FIP is a better indicator of how he’s pitched in the Pacific Coast League this year. Control is clearly still a work in progress but Reynolds seems to have strikeout stuff, so the Padres will give him a shot to miss major league bats.

Padres Place Yu Darvish On Restricted List

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The Padres have placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the restricted list, as manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union Tribune) this evening. Shildt noted that Darvish is stepping away from the team while he deals with “a personal matter involving his family.” The issue does not have to do with anything physical, and Shildt did not comment on the veteran’s timeline for return to the club.

Players on the restricted list do not count against their club’s 40-man roster and collect neither their salary nor MLB service time, meaning that Darvish will forfeit a pro-rated amount of his $16MM salary for the 2024 season for the length of his absence from the team. The right-hander last appeared in a game for the Padres on May 29 and was placed on the injured list due to a left groin strain shortly thereafter. Reporting in late June indicated that the veteran was nearing a return from the injured list but had been slowed by a bout of inflammation in his right elbow. According to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Darvish had subsequently resumed playing catch as he worked his way back toward the big league mound but will now seemingly step away from the team for an indefinite period.

Darvish, 38 in August, is a five-time All Star and veteran of 12 MLB seasons. The righty joined the Padres during the 2020-21 offseason after the club acquired him from the Cubs alongside catcher Victor Caratini in exchange for right-hander Zach Davies and a package of four prospects. At the time, Darvish was coming off a dominant 2020 campaign that earned him a second-place finish in NL Cy Young award voting that year. While the righty’s work in San Diego hasn’t quite measured up to the incredible 2.01 ERA (224 ERA+) and 2.23 FIP he posted in 76 innings during the 60-game season, he’s nonetheless been a reliable presence at the front of the Padres rotation.

In 95 starts for the club, Darvish has posted a solid 3.80 ERA with an even stronger 3.69 FIP and an impressive 26.2% strikeout rate. That work impressed Padres brass enough that they opted to extend Darvish with a five-year, $90MM contract that began this season and will run through the 2028 campaign. The surprising commitment was looking good through 11 starts this year, as Darvish had dominated to the tune of a 3.20 ERA (126 ERA+) and a 3.51 FIP in 56 1/3 innings before he was placed on the IL at the start of June.

The news is a blow to the Padres’ rotation depth, as the club has relied in recent weeks on the likes of Randy Vasquez, Matt Waldron, and Adam Mazur to round out the club’s rotation behind Dylan Cease and Michael King amid injuries to Darvish and fellow veteran righty Joe Musgrove. With Musgrove expected to remain out until at least August due to a bone spur in his elbow that’s caused inflammation and now Darvish out indefinitely, the news serves to highlight San Diego’s rotation needs ahead of the trade deadline later this month.

The club’s 49-43 record puts them comfortably in the second of three NL Wild Card spots, and their offense ranks fourth in the majors with a wRC+ of 114.  Unfortunately, they’ve been held back by a relatively lackluster rotation that ranks just 19th in the majors with a 4.09 ERA this year. Given the uncertainty surrounding when Musgrove and Darvish will be back in the rotation for the club, it makes plenty of sense for them to explore a rotation market that figures to feature players such as Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, and Cal Quantrill.

Padres Activate Luis Campusano From 10-Day IL

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  • The Padres activated catcher Luis Campusano from the 10-day IL prior to yesterday’s game, and optioned infielder Eguy Rosario to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  A left thumb contusion sent Campusano to the IL on June 21, and as expected at the time of the placement, Campusano didn’t miss much beyond the 10-day minimum.  The catcher has hit an underwhelming .234/.282/.371 over 220 PA and defensive metrics have painted a rough picture of his glovework, even though Campusano remains in line for the majority of playing time over Kyle Higashioka.
  • Ketel Marte is day-to-day with back tightness, as the Diamondbacks announced after the second baseman made an early exit from yesterday’s 10-8 loss to the Padres.  Manager Torey Lovullo explained to reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that Marte has been bothered by his back for a few days, and still played eight innings on Friday before requiring a pinch-hitter in the ninth.  The 43-45 D’Backs can only hope that Marte’s back problem doesn’t continue to linger, as the star second baseman has been a big reason why Arizona continues to linger in the wild card race.  Marte is hitting .284/.353/.506 with 17 home runs over 380 PA, and while fans recognized this performance by voting Marte into the NL’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game, this back problem might also raise concerns that he could miss the Midsummer Classic.

Padres Sign Carl Edwards Jr. To Minor League Deal

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The Padres signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. to a minors contract, as first reported by the MadFriars X account earlier this week.  Edwards has already gotten onto the field with an appearance yesterday with the Padres’ Arizona Complex League squad.  This is Edwards’ second stint in the Padres organization, after first playing for San Diego in the latter half of the 2019 season following a deadline trade from the Cubs.

That 2019 season ended up being something of an unfortunate turning point in Edwards’ career, as coming off three very solid seasons as a member of Chicago’s bullpen from 2016-18, he stumbled to an 8.47 ERA over 17 innings with the Cubs and Padres in 2019.  San Diego parted ways with Edwards after the season, and he has since bounced around to six different organizations, including another return trip to the Cubs on a minors deal this past offseason.

Chicago released Edwards from that contract in mid-June, as Edwards triggered his opt-out clause in order to force the Cubs’ hand on deciding whether or not to promote him to the big league roster.  Edwards had a 1.85 ERA over 24 1/3 innings for Triple-A Iowa, and even though the Cubs have been hit hard by bullpen injuries in the last few weeks, Edwards’ 14.6% walk rate might have been enough of a sticking point for the Cubs to hesitate about bringing him to the majors.

The 32-year-old Edwards will now look to another former team for another crack at getting his first taste of MLB action in 2024.  Despite his journeyman status, Edwards has posted solid results over the last two years with the Nationals, including a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings in 2022, and then a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings before a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder ended his season early.

It has now been over a year (since June 19, 2023) since Edwards last pitched in a big league game, and his work Iowa suggests that Edwards is at least healthy, if some questions might remain about whether or not he’s ready to face big league batters.  There’s no risk for the Padres in inking Edwards to a minors deal to see what he’s got, and Edwards now brings an experienced depth option to a San Diego bullpen that has been somewhat inconsistent for most of the year.

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